1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to data processing methods and devices.
2. Description of Related Art
In conventional data processing systems, a user can choose between many functions and, for each function, the user can set a plurality of features. Very often, the number of feature values to be set is more than 30. However, for many reasons, including reducing the physical size of the data processing system, small screens, typically less than ten inches in diagonal, are used. To deal with the resulting constraint, icons that each represent one of the features are displayed on the screen. When a user selects one of the icons, for example through a touch screen, a specific window is opened and the user can set one feature value.
However, icons may be confusing because the information the icons represent is not always clear. Users, and particularly new users or the casual user, may be unable to properly use the data processing system.
The data processing methods and systems according to this invention provide informative programming review and allow a user to easily find and set the value of a feature that the user wants to review or change before performing a data processing job. The review may be used to save one or more job program and apply any saved job program to subsequent jobs.
The data processing methods and systems according to this invention provide a job review summary that includes, for each displayed feature, a terse textual language definition for each feature and at least one current feature value. When reviewing a data processing job, the user will have the possibility to read the terse definitions and select the feature for which the user wants to modify the current feature value.
In various exemplary embodiments, the job feature summary includes a table in which terse textual language definitions and corresponding current feature values are located.
In other exemplary embodiments, the job feature summary includes a table or list of terse textual language definitions accompanied by the corresponding current feature values.
These and other features and advantages of this invention are described in or are apparent from the following detailed description of the systems and methods according to this invention.